With its registration phase already underway, the official Android variant of the popular photo editing and sharing iOS app, Instagram, seems to be inching closer to being released in the Google Play Store. We still have no final word on the release date, however, what we do have in the Google Play Store is PlayGram – a comprehensive Instagram photo explorer for Android. Using the app, you can log in to your personal Instagram account to view your Instagram followers’ and your own recent uploads and activities on the network. The app provides separate sections for viewing public photos uploaded to Instagram from near your location (much like the iOS app InstaBAM) and popular public photos from all across the globe, lets you browse photos by tags, like and comment on photos or share them over the web.

Sporting a simple interface, PlayGram is one of those few apps that require minimal configuration. All you need to do is log in with a valid Instagram account to explore your personal photo feeds, complete with comments and likes. Even if you’re not a registered Instagram user, you can still browse through public photos.

Tapping the Popular button on the app’s homescreen presents you with a slew of photos that are currently running hot among other Instagram users. The Search Tag button lets you search for images by tags.

In order to avail the remaining four options on the app’s homescreen, you must log in with a valid Instagram account. Once logged in, you can tap the All New Feed button to take a sneak peek into your Instagram followers’ activities. The My Feed button is dedicated to displaying your personal Instagram feed whereas the My Liked button shows all the photos that you’ve ever liked. The last button on the app’s homescreen, NearBy, lets you explore all the images shared by Instagram users from around your current location.

Selecting a photo’s thumbnail from within the public or nearby feeds displays a larger version of the photo along with all the comments and likes that it has received. Tapping a photo lets you Like, Comment on, or Share it with your friends.

PlayGram might not be the only app of its kind in the Google Play Store, but it certainly is among the most convenient solutions for exploring the photo-filled world of Instagram on Android. What kind of users does the app aim to attract? Avid Instagram users who happen to own both iOS and Android devices or Android users who want to have a taste of the photo-sharing network before the official app comes out.

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